1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sheet post-processing apparatus for automatically collating, aligning and binding recorded sheets, which are successively sent out one by one from a copying machine, printer or the like in the order of page, by using a built-in stapler or puncher.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has been a bookbinding or post-processing system installed in or attached to an image forming device such as a copying machine and printer so as to automatically align and bind recorded or printed sheets arriving from the image forming device with one or more staples. In general, the copying machine of large size is provided on its front side portion with an operating console panel and on one lateral side portion with a sheet discharging unit to which the copied or recorded sheet is sent out.
In case where a sheet sorting unit for automatically sorting the recorded sheets successively delivered from the copying machine is attached to the lateral side portion of the copying machine, the work of extracting a sheaf of sorted sheets from the sorting unit is not so onerous because an operator can easily access the sorting unit to take out the finished sheaf of sheets bound without moving too much from the operation place in front of the copying machine.
However, when a sheet post-processing apparatus capable of automatically collating, aligning and binding sheets arriving from the copying machine is attached to the lateral side of the copying machine, the operator will be compelled to move from the operation place on the front side to the lateral side of the system in order to take out the finished sheets bound and discharged from the sheet post-processing apparatus which ordinarily has one or more discharge trays on the lateral side far from the operation place in front of the image forming device, because such a multi-function sheet post-processing apparatus is commonly large in size. The work of repeatedly operating the copying machine to copy and moving to take out the copied sheets turns out to be very troublesome chore.
Thus, the image forming system including the multi-function sheet post-processing apparatus is disadvantageous in that it calls for not merely the troublesome work of taking out the finished sheets bound in a sheaf discharged from the farthest side of the system, but also a sufficient space left for taking out the finished sheets on the lateral side.
In the copying machine which is typical of the image forming device, the finished or copied sheet is generally discharged with the image surface upward as a structural consequence of the copying machine. If the finished sheets successively sent out in the order of page from the copying machine are fed out with the image surfaces downward without being reversed and piled on top of the sheets which have already been discharged on a discharge tray, the sheets are inconveniently piled on one another in the reverse order of page on the discharge tray. Accordingly, the sheet post-processing apparatus to be applied to the copying machine of the type of discharging the finished sheet with the image surface upward necessitates a function of not only handling a single sheet which need not be turned upside down, but also causing the sheets delivered from the image forming device to be reversed.
An object of the present invention is to provide a high-performance sheet post-processing apparatus to be attached or united to an image forming device such as a copying machine and a printer, which achieves a function of automatically collating, aligning and binding recorded or copied sheets successively sent out from the image forming device so as to effectively produce a finished sheets bound in a sheaf.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a convenient sheet post-processing apparatus capable of discharging the finished sheets, which are obtained by automatically collating, aligning and binding sheets successively delivered from the image forming device, to a position near an operator who is handling the image forming device.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a sheet post-processing apparatus capable of permitting the recorded sheets successively sent out with the image surface upward from the image forming device in the specified order of page to be turned upside down for being stacked in the proper order of page on a sheet stacking platform so as to perform consecutive processes of automatically collating, aligning and binding or punching the sheets with high efficiency.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a sheet post-processing apparatus having ingenious passages for reliably transferring recorded or copied sheets arriving from the image forming device so as to make a system including the sheet post-processing apparatus compact.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a sheet post-processing apparatus for automatically binding recorded sheets, which can be readily applied to various image forming devices such as a copying machine.
To attain the objects described above according to the present invention, there is provided a sheet post-processing apparatus connected to or assembled in an image forming device to receive one or more sheets recorded in the image forming device and align and bind or punch the recorded sheets, comprising a processing portion having a sheet stacking platform for stacking the sheets fed from the image forming device and means for aligning the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking platform, and a sheet discharge unit situated perpendicularly to the direction in which the recorded sheet is sent out from the image forming device relative to the processing portion.
The image forming device to which the sheet post-processing apparatus is applied is provided in one lateral side with a sheet exit port through which the recorded sheet is discharged in a lateral direction defined as a reference transferring direction. The recorded sheet delivered from the image forming device in the reference transferring direction to the sheet post-processing apparatus changes its direction at right angles and discharged in the direction perpendicular to the prescribed reference transferring direction upon undergoing required processes of collating, aligning and binding. Thus, the sheets successively sent one by one to the processing portion are automatically stacked on the sheet stacking platform, aligned by the aligning means and bound in a sheaf with one or more staples by using a stapler.
The sheaf of sheets thus bound is discharged into one of discharge trays in the sheet discharge unit disposed on the side perpendicular to the reference transferring direction relative to the processing portion. Since the discharge trays are situated close to the operation place in front of the image forming device, the finished sheets can easily be taken out from the discharge trays.
The sheet sent out with the image surface upward from the image forming device into the sheet post-processing apparatus is forwarded to the processing portion through a sheet reversing path for turning the sheet upside down. In the same manner, the succeeding sheets successively given from the image forming device are turned upside down through the sheet reversing path and stacked on the sheets already placed on the sheet stacking platform in the same order of page as that of original documents given to the image forming device.
The sheets stacked in the specified order of page on the sheet stacking platform are automatically bound into a sheaf by the stapler, and then, discharged to the discharge unit situated near the operation place in front of the image forming device.
The sheet reversing path may be disposed on the perpendicular side, the downstream side or upstream side of the processing portion relative to the reference transferring direction. In the case of disposing the sheet reversing path on the perpendicular side, the direction in which the sheet arriving from the image forming device is forwarded may be changed at right angles on a sheet receiving stage before the sheet reversing path. In the case of arranging the sheet reversing path on the downstream or upstream side of the processing portion, the sheet fed from the image forming device may change its direction at right angles on the processing portion.
Instead of stapling the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking platform in the processing portion, the sheets may undergo a punching process to bore at least one hole to bind the sheets in a sheaf.
Since the sheaves of sheets thus bound are finally discharged to the discharge unit close to the operation place of the image forming device, an operator can easily take out the bound sheets from the sheet post-processing apparatus without moving too much from the operation place in front of the image forming device. Besides, since the sheet post-processing apparatus provided on its front side with the discharge unit need not secure a space on its lateral side, it is advantageous in being installed in a limited space.
Other and further objects of this invention will become obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiments about to be described or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.